Railway switch-box



No. 607,9I6. Patented July 26, |898.

E. W. CUUGHLIN.

RAILWAY SWITCH BOX.

(Application led Nev. 1B, 1897.1

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EDWARD WV. COUGl-ILIN, F BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

RAILWAY SWITCH-BOX,

SPECIFICATION forming part of LetterSPatent NO. 607,916, dated July 26, 1898. Application iiled November 18, 1397.` Serial No. 658,948. (No model.)

others skilled in the art to which it appertainsA to make and use the same, referencev being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to means for throwing the switch-points and frog of a railway-switch; and it is designed especially for use with a special construction of frog of the type disclosed in Letters Patent No. 520,302, granted to me under date of May 22, 1894, in which there is employed a swing-section which overlaps the main-line rail to effect the switching without breaking the main line of rail.

Vhile it is desirable that both the switchpoints and the swing-section of the frog be operated by a single lever or from a single switch-box, it is objectionable (owing to the distance between the switch-points and frog) for the points and swing-section of the frog to be thrown simultaneously. The purpose, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a switch-box which will by a partial movement of its operating-lever throw the switch-points and subsequently by a continuation and completion of the movement of the lever move the swing-section of the frog, or vice versa.

lVith this end in View the invention consists in the features of construction and combinations of devices hereinafter fully described, and specifically pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved switch-box. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, a portion of the casing being broken away to show the mechanism. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the operating-lever and its attached parts, and Fig. 4 is a vertical central section of the box.

The casing 1 is of general rectangular shape, with openings 2 and 3 at its ends, through which extend the arms 4 and 5 of the slideplates 6 and 7.

These plates each comprise a vertical body portion S, rounded at its upper end 9 to conform to the rounded cover 10 of the casing l, and the horizontally-extended arms 4 and 5, which extends beyond the casing and is slotted or forked, as shown at 11, to facilitate the attachment thereto of the connecting-rods (not shown) leading to the switch-points and frog.` Each of the slidebars is formed with a cam-slot 12 and 12% vThese slots are reversely curved, as shown by full and dotted lines in Fig. 2.

13 designates a lever, terminating at its inner end in a yoke 14, provided with eyes or loop bearings 15, within which are keyed short shafts 16 and 17, which extend inwardly and are supported in bearings 18 and 19 in the side walls of the casing 1." On the inner end of each of the shafts 16 and 17 is rigidly secured an arm 20. These arms diverge from each other at an angle of about ninety degrees, and each is provided at its outer end with a roller 2l, mounted upon a rivet-pin 22.

The rollers 2l project into the slots 12 and 12a, and the contact of saidrollers with the walls of the slots operates to slide the slideplates 6 and 7 in either direction, accordingly as the lever is turned.

As shown in Fig. 4, the side walls of the casing are provided with cleats 23, which serve as guides for the horizontal flanges 24 at the bottom edges of the slide-plates.

The peculiarity of operation of the parts thus described is found in the fact that when the lever is turned from a horizontal to a vertical position only one of the slide-plates is moved, the roller in the slot of the other plate moving idly therein. lever is in its vertical position, a further forward movement of it operates to throw the idle roller against the wall of the other slideplate, causing it to move and allowing the first-named roller to move in the slot of the first-moved plate without further 4movement of the latter. Thus it will be seen that either the switch-points or the frog may be moved independently of the other or that both may be moved by a full throw of the lever.

One important advantage in the use of this form of switch-box is that if the frog through neglect of the switchman is not returned to When, however, the

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its inoperative position away from the main line after the passage of a train a slight pressure upon the swing-section of the frog, such as Would be caused by the Contact therewith of a ear-wheel in travel, would serve to move the slide-plate connected with the frog, and thus permit the frog swing section to be thrown out of the way.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a switch-box the combination with a housing or easing of movable slides provided with oppositely-eurved Cam-slots, an operating-lever comprising a yoke and a handle, shafts keyed to the arms of said yoke and lying in the same horizontal plane, arms mounted on said shafts in parallel vertical planes, but at different angles from the yoke, and rollers carried by said arms and extending into said cam-slots.

2. In a switch-box, the combination with a housing or easing provided with horizontal gnideways, of oppositely-movable slides provided with oppositely-eurved cam-slots, and horizontal guide-anges, an operating-lever comprising a yoke and a handle, shafts keyed to the arms of said yoke and lying in the same horizontal plane, arms mounted on said shafts in parallel vertical planes, but at different angles from the yoke, and rollers carried by said arms and extending into said cam-slots. In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD W. COUGI-ILIN. Witnesses:

S. G. HOPKINS, F. O. MCCLEARY. 

